1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording apparatus for recording on a tape-shaped recording medium an information signal representing an image or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many demands for an apparatus arranged to record, on a magnetic tape, data representing a plurality of images and to make an image display by reproducing specific image data included in the recorded image data as necessary. Among such recording media that are capable of flexibly permitting alterations of the contents of the record and recording many image data at a low price, a tape-shaped recording medium or the like (hereinafter referred to as the tape) excels others. Hence, many recording/reproduction apparatuses have been arranged to use the tape.
However, it is a drawback of the tape that a search cannot be quickly accomplished thereon, because the tape intrinsically necessitates sequential access.
Another drawback of the tape lies in that, in order to simply find what kind of image data is recorded, images must be checked and looked up with the naked eye by reproducing the whole record at a high speed. Therefore, operability for making a search has been extremely poor.
Further, in the case of a tape recording apparatus of the kind arranged to record, on the tape, a multiplicity of file data while sorting them into a plurality of kinds, it has been practiced to equally divide a recording area of the tape between the beginning of the tape (hereinafter referred to as BOT) and the end of the tape (hereinafter referred to as EOT) into a number of areas, as shown in FIG. 1, which shows the dividing arrangement of the tape recording area. In the case of FIG. 1, for example, the whole tape is divided into nine areas. With the exception of an area for a table of contents (hereinafter referred to as TOC area) which is a leading part, a remaining recording area of the tape is equally divided into eight areas, each of which is divided into 150 sectors. Information data which are sorted into eight categories are recorded in the respective eight areas as applicable.
In the case of the apparatus of this kind, data to be recorded is prearranged. The recording area of the tape is equally divided into a number of areas as many as the number of kinds or categories to be sorted out. The equally divided recording areas are allocated respectively to the records of applicable categories of information. In making a search after recording, the tape moving extent required for the search is lesser than a search to be made in a random manner on the tape as all related records of information are gathered together within one and the same specific recording area. Besides, a search for related records of information within each sorted category can be quickly accomplished.
However, the above-stated prior art arrangement brings about the following problem, as the recording areas divided on the tape (hereinafter referred to as divided recording areas) have equal fixed spacing lengths.
Referring to FIG. 2, in a case where a large amount of information is recorded, for example, in one divided recording area A as a result of arrangement made on input information as shown in the drawing, empty parts might be left in the divided recording areas B, C and D, while nothing is recorded in other divided recording areas E, F, G and H. Even in such a case, the divided recording area A is alone filled with the recording information (or data). Then, in recording information on one tape by arranging and sorting information, the tape cannot be effectively used because of the many areas left unused on the tape.
To solve the above-stated problem, it has been contrived as shown in FIG. 3 to allocate, for example, remaining divided recording areas Axe2x80x2, Axe2x80x3, Bxe2x80x2 and Cxe2x80x2 to the remainders of the information (or data) of sorted kinds recorded on the fully recorded areas A, B and C, in such a way as to effectively use the tape.
In this case, however, the data which has been sorted out for recording within the divided recording area A is recorded not only in the area A but also in the divided recording area Axe2x80x2 or Axe2x80x3. Therefore, in making a search for the data sorted out to be recorded within the divided recording area A after recording, the tape must be moved to a greater extent for the search from the divided recording area A to the area Axe2x80x2 or to another recording area Axe2x80x3 or from the area Axe2x80x2 to the area Axe2x80x3. Therefore, this arrangement requires much time for the search.
This invention is directed to the solution of these problems.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a signal recording apparatus which is arranged to be capable of quickly grasping all information recorded on the whole tape-shaped recording medium and to be also capable of quickly extracting any desired information.
Under this object, an image information recording apparatus arranged according to this invention as an embodiment thereof comprises: input means for inputting image information; processing means for processing the image information, the processing means being arranged to be capable of outputting first and second image signals which respectively correspond to the image information, the amount of information of the first image signal being greater than that of the second image signal; and recording means for recording the first and second image signals on a tape-shaped recording medium, the recording means being arranged to record the second image signal only within a predetermined section on the tape-shaped recording medium extending from a beginning of the tape-shaped recording medium and to record the first image signal only within another section located after the predetermined section.
It is another object of the invention to provide a recording apparatus which is arranged to be capable of effectively using a tape-shaped recording medium and also to record signals in such a manner that any desired information is quickly extractable after recording.
Under that object, an image information recording apparatus arranged as another embodiment of the invention comprises: input means capable of inputting a plurality of kinds of image information; recording means for recording the image information on a tape-shaped recording medium; transport means for transporting the tape-shaped recording medium in a longitudinal direction thereof; discrimination means for making a discrimination between a recorded area and an unrecorded area on the tape-shaped recording medium; and area determining means for determining a recording area on the tape-shaped recording medium for each kind of the plurality of kinds of image information, the area determining means being arranged to act in accordance with a result of the discrimination made by the discrimination means.
The above and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.